Vengeance is Bittersweet
by Overobsessy
Summary: Another evil plot by Naraku has landed in an incredible tragedy. Kagome lies close to death, and a certain demon has lost its entire family. Rated PG-13 for later violence and mild language.
1. Prologue

**This is an official remake of The Mystery of the Past and Love. Just ta let ya know.**

**Disclaimer: I think . . . yeah . . . yeah . . . I'm pretty sure I don't own Inuyasha . . . but hey! I know for a fact that I own Lahara!**

**

* * *

**

A woman stood silently watching a demon as he spoke to her. Her eyes were alive with interest, absorbing every ounce of what he was saying as if it were her life blood.

"So you see. You must be extremely cautious with this one . . ." The youkai's lips curled into a sneer as he watched the woman smirk.

"This information is quite intriguing to me, demon. And I thank you for providing me with it." Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "So what is it that you want in return for this? I doubt you would do someone a favor."

"Your intelligence knows no bounds, my dear, but in this case, all I want is this." He held up a small shard of the Shikon no Tama, glowing slightly. "They have a few of these jewel shards. Would you be so kind as to retrieve them for me?"

"But that's . . . a Shikon jewel shard! They say that a single piece can increase a demon's power substantially!"

"Do you wish to have them? I will allow your to keep this shard and theirs should you rid the world of them."

The woman scoffed. "Do you think me so low a demon that I need a silly jewel to help me? I need no bolster for my power."

"My apologies, Lahara. I should never have assumed you so weak. But take this shard anyway, they will undoubtedly come to you if you possess it."

"I can live with that." She reached out and took the shard, clenching her fist around it and letting it sink into her flesh. "You shall have your jewel after I'm done with them." She opened her fist up again and watched the moonlight reflect off her claws. "It's been a while since I've killed a silver-hair . . ."

"I shall now take my leave of you, but know that I willcall on you again after you have collected the shards from their corpses." With that, he disappeared into the shadows of the looming trees.

Lahara looked around, slightly confused about his disappearance, but she shrugged it off and looked up into the starry night sky. "At last, Father . . . I have almost killed them all off . . . two more, and I shall be free . . ."

The demon, who was still lurking in the shadows, watched as she turned and walked back towards her home, her hair practically sparkling in the pale moonlight. He smirked to himself, silently lowering the baboon pelt from his head . . .

* * *

**This story has been in dire need of a LOT of help. So I have decided to redo it. Simple as that. I will save all of my wonderful reviews of course, and pray that I have a few more reviewers. So yeah.**

**PROLOGUE PEOPLE!!! PROLOGUE!!!**

**Hence shortness.**

**Ciao!**


	2. Memories

**...waves nervously... Hey peoples. What's up? ...barely manages to avoid random flying objects... Okay. Okay. So I haven't updated anything at all for a really long time, so sue me. ...is suddenly bombarded by a bunch of lawyers... SARCASM, PEOPLE! SARCASM! ...avoids more objects...**

**Alright, alright. I'll tell ya why I haven't updated. Truth is, I've been depressed as hell. Makes it really hard to write. I just moved to El Paso and am now spending my free time trying to help find a house. -.-' So yeah. I'll stop talking now.**

**Disclaimer: Heck, if I owned Inuyasha, why the hell would I write a fanfiction about it? I could put it in the real deal for crying out loud!**

* * *

Inuyasha, as usual, was leading the group across the vast meadow in pursuit of a lead on Naraku. This time, however, he was silent, lost in thought, completely opposite of the Inuyasha that usually yelled at the others for being too slow. 

'I wonder what's his problem,' Kagome thought, walking her bike near the back of the group. 'I don't even remember the last time he was so lost in thought.'

She quickened her pace slightly until she was walking beside him, gazing into his faraway face. "Inuyasha?"

He blinked slowly, then looked down at her. "Yeah? What's your problem?"

"Oh, nothing." She smiled innocently, knowing that he had not appreciated her interruption on his thoughts.

"Then stop staring at me," he said in his usual tone, looking back up at the sky again with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he stopped, his nose slightly twitching.

"Something wrong?" Kagome asked, watching as he turned in a few different directions and sniffed some more. "You smell something?"

Miroku and Sango walked up next to them, also giving the hanyou a look of interest. Shippo also came up, riding on Kirara, but as soon as they got close, both got the same look and started sniffing the air as well.

"What's the matter? Is it Naraku?" Sango gave them slightly worried looks, as Kirara rarely acted so strangely.

"No . . ." Inuyasha growled, giving up his sniffing. "I can't . . . smell anything at all . . ."

"You can't?" Kagome squeaked, giving him a worried look. "But . . . But . . . why not?"

"Hell if I know, wench!" he snapped, trying yet again to sift out any scents at all.

"I can't either." Shippo hopped off Kirara and onto the hanyou's shoulder, hoping that the height might help his nose.

"This area . . ." Miroku looked around, noting the vast field in every direction and the forest off to their right. "It seems . . . rather ominous . . ."

"What do you mean 'ominous'?" Kagome asked, looking over at him.

"I feel it too." Sango stepped forward and looked at the forest. "This place has the feeling of a vengeful spirit."

"Vengeful spirit? What the hell would a spirit want to be avenged for? And why would that have to do with not being able to smell?" Inuyasha growled.

Miroku looked back at the others with a solid look on his face. "Whatever the situation may be, I suggest we get out of this area as soon as possible."

"I agree." Sango got up and mounted Kirara. "The sooner we get out of here the better."

"So where are you going?" The monk gave her a curious look as she and the fire neko took off into the air.

"I'm going to see if there are any humans around here. This could spell disaster for them." Sango said, as if it were obvious.

"Good idea, Sango!" Kagome took a few steps forward while looking up at her. Suddenly, a very familiar feeling hit her, causing her to look in the direction of the forest. "I . . . There's . . . a shikon jewel shard in there . . ."

"Well then." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "That explains a lot. I think it's time we got rid of this so called vengeful spirit."

* * *

Lahara tapped her claws on the solid ground beneath her impatiently, staring out overtop the trees and out into the forest. The familiar grumblings of her brothers rumbled in the cave beneath her, griping about their hunger. It almost made her want to grab each by their throat and choke the life out of them. When would they ever understand that if she did something so drastic as to stop them from their routine hunt, there was a perfectly good reason? 

The sound of claws scratching on rock came from behind her, signaling the return of her most faithful companion. She turned her head slightly, letting out a strange growl. Another echoed back to her in return, and a giant golden bitch stepped forward, sitting next to her.

"I see . . . so the dogs are in position . . ." She stood, staring off into the distance before letting out another growl. Shrieka stood again, ground out an affirmative, then left as quickly as she had come. Lahara closed her eyes, taking a few sniffs of the air for any sign of the people she was expecting. The slightest of slight scents tickled her nose, and she smirked. "Finally . . . it took them long enough to get here."

She leapt off the cliff face, landing gracefully in front of a cave and immediately being greeted by a hateful growl.

She let out an annoyed sigh before turning to face her eldest little brother who was sitting on a rock near the entrance. "Shikaki . . . might I remind you that I would not call off our hunt if I didn't have a good enough reason."

"Then tell me the reason." He stood, his long braid of silky, golden hair slipping onto his back. "Tell me your pathetic reason so that I might loathe you all the more."

She growled at him, eyes slitted with hatred. "I am the authority here. You will listen to my orders whether you like them or not." Lahara slowly made her way over to him, gripping him by the collar to bring his nose an inch from hers. "Got it?"

"Get your hands off me." Shikaki attempted to pull her hands off but to no avail.

"If you weren't my little brother . . ." she hissed. "I'd've killed you long ago . . ."

A howl suddenly burst through the deafening quiet, causing her to release her brother. He stumbled backwards slightly, then brushed himself off with a look of disgust.

"That's the first signal. Good. Everything's in place." Lahara narrowed her eyes at Shikaki. "Go. Assemble everyone. It's time you learned what I've been up to."

* * *

Kagome quickly gripped onto Inuyasha's haori as a second howl pierced through the usual forest sounds, unnerving her. "Inuyasha . . . I don't like this . . ." 

"Quit your whining," he snapped, pulling her off of him. "It's probably just some stray dogs goin' out for a hunt."

"Do you think they eat foxes?" Shippo asked, shivering slightly on top of the hanyou's head.

"Why would they eat a shrimp like you?" Inuyasha pried him off his head by his tail. "I'm tellin' ya. It's nothin' to worry about."

"Then again, there's no way of really knowing, is there? You can't smell where they are," Miroku added quickly, making everyone all the more nervous as they looked into the trees around them.

"Ah! Something moved!" Shippo jumped right onto Inuyasha's face, causing him to growl as he pulled him off yet again.

"It's a forest. Of course things are gonna move, stupid," Inuyasha snickered.

"Not things with red eyes, there aren't!" Sango yelled, holding her Hiraikotsu over her head before releasing it into the trees, the sounds of things scampering out of the way echoing from all over.

"We're surrounded! I knew it! They do wanna eat me!" Shippo jumped into Kagome's protective arms.

Sango caught her weapon again and threw it in a circle around them, cutting down all the trees and causing the creatures around them to flee deeper into the forest.

"I don't think their leader's with them," Inuyasha mumbled, thoroughly annoyed that he couldn't assess the situation in a single sniff. "They were probably just lookouts."

"Lookouts? For what?" Kagome asked, hugging the kit in her arms tighter. "None of them are heading in the direction of the shikon jewel shard."

Several howls suddenly sounded from around them, making shivers run down almost everyone's spines.

Kagome gasped. "The jewel shard . . . it's coming this way and fast!"

"Feh." Inuyasha drew his sword. "That'll just make it all the easier to kill 'em."

A deep growl suddenly sounded from directly in front of them, huge, glowing red eyes appearing before them. Kagome backed behind Inuyasha, shaking slightly as an enormous dog immerged from the trees, saber**-**like teeth bared and golden fur bristled.

Much to everyone's surprise, Inuyasha slightly lowered his sword, eyes wide. "Th-That's . . ."

_Flashback_

_A much younger Inuyasha cowered in some bushes, watching a battle take place between two women, one with golden hair and the other with silver._

_'Come on, Kyouki. You gotta win this.'_

_Kyouki, however, was losing incredibly badly, already bleeding from several wounds._

_"Damn you, Lahara," she hissed, clutching the freshest wound on her chest._

_Lahara merely laughed. "You've been quite the entertainment, but I'm afraid that your little diversion has gone on long enough." She motioned for the dog behind her, who gladly stepped forward. "Shrieka, I'll allow you to finish off this wench."_

_"You may kill me, but Inuyasha will live."_

_'Kyouki . . .' The hanyou almost leapt out to try and save her, but remembered what she had told him and pressed himself closer to the ground. 'Please don't die . . .'_

_"Whatever," Lahara sighed, waving to her companion who instantly leapt forward, pushing the silver haired woman to the ground as she sunk her fangs into her neck._

_Inuyasha snapped his eyes closed, pressing his ears to his skull. 'Kyouki . . .'_

_"Now where the hell did the little one get to?" Lahara's voice made him slit open his eyes again. She sniffed the air, then growled. "Damn. There's too much blood in this air."_

_The dog looked up at her, blood dripping off its muzzle._

_The woman sighed, crossing her arms. "Oh well. We'll just get 'im later, Shrieka. Father's expecting me home soon anyway."_

_The bitch made an odd growl, then brought its mouth down to the corpse at its feet._

_Inuyasha looked away, feeling about ready to puke. 'Ane-ue . . .'_

_End Flashback_

"Inuyasha?" Kagome almost whispered, looking at him with concern written all over her face.

The hanyou shook his head, bringing his sword back up to the ready. "One stupid dog won't stop me," he said, his words bitter.

As if mocking him, many more dogs suddenly immerged from all around them, growling in tune with their leader.

"Inuyasha, the jewel shard . . . it's almost here . . ." Kagome clutched onto his haori again, trying to back away from the dogs that were slowly closing in.

Inuyasha's eyes widened yet again. 'If this is the same dog, then that means that . . .' He looked over at Kagome, feeling his heart almost stop. He couldn't allow her to be in danger. "Kagome, I'll clear a path for you, and I want you to run."

"Huh?" She blinked at him, wondering why his voice held traces of panic.

"Don't ask questions. I just want you to run." He raised his voice so that Miroku and Sango could hear as well. "Miroku. Sango. Can you protect Kagome?"

"Of course," they said in unison.

"Good." He quickly turned around, blasting a kaze no kizu into the trees to force the dogs away. "Then go!"

Kagome instantly took off, Miroku and Sango following her, the dog underlings chasing all three. The golden bitch, however, remained to deal with Inuyasha, slowly stepping forward, her humongous paws padding surprisingly softly on the ground.

'It's time to avenge Kyouki,' Inuyasha thought, raising his sword.

Suddenly, something rustled through the trees beside the two, causing the dog to stop growling and perk its ears up. Its nose twitched, sniffing, before bounding forward, catching the hanyou completely off guard.

She leapt at him, catching him in the chest, forcing the Tetsusaiga out of his hands as she growled in his face.

"Oh no, you don't!" He kicked the dog in the stomach, forcing her off him and above his head. Quickly, he stood, picking up the Tetsusaiga and turning, only to see the dog's retreating back. "What the . . ."

Another howl broke through the silence, followed by many others.

"Oh no! Kagome!" Inuyasha hurriedly ran forward, trying to catch up as his mind raced. 'This can only mean one thing. That dog's master is up ahead. Kagome . . . please be alright . . .'

Kagome, however, was not doing alright. She and the others were surrounded by dogs, all nipping at their heels. Kirara had transformed, hissing at them to stay away, but there were too many, even for her.

"I'll get 'em," Sango said, releasing her Hiraikotsu in yet another circle. The dogs all leapt backwards, but before the weapon could return to its owner, the giant bitch had jumped out of nowhere and managed to snag the thing in her jaws before spitting it out to the side.

"My turn." Miroku gripped his rosary tightly. "Stand behind me so I don't suck you in."

"Right." Kagome nodded, standing behind him with the others, making sure Kirara was between her and the dogs.

Laughter coming from behind them all made them all turn before the monk could open his kazaana, staring at a figure that was still somewhat hidden in the trees.

"Whadaya know." A small bit of silky golden hair floated in and out of view. "The demon was right about that hand of yours."

"The jewel shard . . ." Kagome whispered, trying to see the person. "They have it . . ."

Miroku stepped in front of his friends again, holding out his hand. "Then you know that unless you call off your dogs, you'll get sucked in and never come out alive."

"Surely you're not that much of a fool." The person smirked in the shadows. "You suck me in, you suck the jewel shard in as well."

Miroku narrowed his eyes as he pulled his hand back.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha suddenly burst through the trees, leaping right into the center of the fray. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm just fine, but . . ." She gazed around the dogs, the giant leader slowly making its way back to its own master.

Inuyasha growled, eyes narrowed as he looked into the shadows. "I know you're there . . . Lahara . . ."

"Oh, how clever." The figure immerged, hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. "Nice to see you again, Inuyasha."

* * *

**And there you have it. Hope you enjoyed.**

**Shout Outs:**

**GREENpandas (first reviewer! You're number 1, baby!): Hopefully, you're more interested than ever cause ...gasp... Lahara killed Inu-baby's sister!**

**brigurl: Sorry it wasn't soon, but I at least it wasn't forever!**

**sweet-girl8270: Freaked out? Well . . . you're probably even more freaked out now aren't you?**

**animedorkette: Yes, yay for updates! I'll try to update more often, but no promises what with the move and all.**

**AngelWing1138: ...laughs nervously... Sorry that I restarted it, but I hope you think it's much better this time through . . . ... continues nervous laughter...**


	3. Failure

**So I've had to deal with a series of unfortunate events in the past while. I've moved, been forced to unpack a million and one things, had a new and harder school to deal with, not to mention a temporary grounding from the computer simply for me to 'get a life' . . . or so I think anyway. The computers at school are off limits to authors (not that they're that great for writing anyway), and I hada bit of a dilemma in getting my work on RftP. I'd feel bad if I didn't get it up at the same time. Ya know how it is. Anyway, enough with excuses and on to more important things.**

**Disclaimer: I may own enough Inuyasha merchandice to buy the show from VIZ, but honestly. I'm not made of enough money to support it. x.x**

**

* * *

**

_"Kagome!" Inuyasha suddenly burst through the trees, leaping right into the center of the fray. "You aren't hurt, are you?"_

_"No, I'm just fine, but . . ." She gazed around the dogs, the giant leader slowly making its way back to its own master._

_Inuyasha growled, eyes narrowed as he looked into the shadows. "I know you're there . . . Lahara . . ."_

_"Oh, how clever." The figure immerged, hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. "Nice to see you again, Inuyasha."_

* * *

The woman that had immerged looked like anything but a killer, the only thing giving her away her ice edged silver eyes. She had incredibly long, golden hair, most flowing down to a little above her knees, but the rest was pulled up into two knots on top of her head. The only real proof that she was a demon was the blue star on her forehead, framed by her bangs. Her attire seemed rather out of place, a short, white kimono with small blue patterns hung loosely over her shoulders, and what looked like slightly more modern clothes were on underneath. 

She smirked at them all, walking out just behind the dogs.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, growling his head off in hatred. "Inuyasha, who is this?"

Before he could answer, however, Miroku stepped forward, eyes slightly puppyish. "Lahara, was it? Would you possibly consider- "

He was cut off by a punch to the back of the head.

"You don't interest me, monk. My only business lies with this hanyou here." She raised a clawed hand, once hidden in the overly long sleeves of the kimono.

"Bring it on anytime, you bitch. I've wanted to murder you for a long time now." Inuyasha's voice was incredibly bitter, memories of his older sister playing in his head.

"Maybe I'd take more of an insult to that if I wasn't a bitch, Inuyasha." She stepped inside the line of dogs, the smirk still in place as her voice changed to a mocking pitch. "But what could I ever have done to make you wish to murder me so badly? Does it have anything to do with that . . . oh . . . what was her name again? Kyouki, was it?"

Inuyasha's growl deepened as he pushed Kagome behind him, the Tetsusaiga practically shaking out of rage in his hands. "Not just Kyouki, you asshole! The others as well!"

'Kyouki?' Kagome gave the hanyou in front of her a concerned look. 'Whose Kyouki?'

"Oh that's right." The female youkai continued her falsely ignorant tone. "I did kill them all, didn't I? It happened so many years ago, I hardly remember anymore."

"You bitch! I'll kill you!" Inuyasha leapt forward, swinging his sword at Lahara wildly.

As if it was nothing, she ducked the thing, then caught the unsharpened edge in her fingers before it got too far away. "Now now, little man. Let's not resort to violence."

Still gripping the Tetsusaiga in one hand, Inuyasha slashed at her with his claws, but she caught his wrist in her hand, digging her own claws deep into his flesh.

Seeing the hanyou struggle, Sango and Miroku stepped in, allowing Kirara to continue to protect Kagome and Shippo from the dogs.

Lahara quickly released Inuyasha to duck and avoid the monk's staff, then leapt out of the circle to evade the demon slayer's katana. She smirked as she landed gracefully on the ground a few feet away. "Well now. It seems like it'll be more difficult to deal with you when I have to concern myself with your companions, Inuyasha."

For once, the hanyou actually didn't start yelling at Sango and Miroku to stay out of his fight, realizing that it would be difficult to do anything without them. 'As long as I get the finishing blow . . .'

The demon yawned widely, setting her hands back on her hips before biting her bottom lip and letting out a horribly piercing whistle that made even the dogs wince as they growled. She blinked out into the trees with a bored expression on her face as if waiting for something, giving the Inu-tachi some time to shake off the shivers that the thing had caused.

Lahara flicked her gaze back over to them, smirking. "Just a whistle and you're down for the count, eh?"

"Just shut the hell up!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping out of the circle of dogs to attack her again, attempting to bring the sword down on her head.

She sidestepped it, then took a step backwards as he swung at her again. This continued for a while, Lahara casually stepping out of the way of every strike.

"You disappoint me, boy." She grabbed him by the collar, pulling him so that she could stare him down. "I expected much better out of a silver-hair."

The demon quickly jerked her head to the side, a sacred arrow slicing through the space she had just been occupying. Kagome still stood in the circle, pulling another arrow out of its quiver to attempt to shoot her again.

"What a bother," Lahara sighed, turning her cold gaze on the miko. "Try as I might to get a simple one on one fight, your friends simply refuse to leave us alone."

"Put Inuyasha down right now!" Kagome pulled the bow string taut as she carefully aimed at the female youkai. "Next time, I won't miss!"

"So you wish to share his fate then?" Lahara asked, a smile curling onto her face.

Inuyasha glanced backwards, seeing too late the men grabbing each of his friends. "No! Kagome! Miroku! Sango!"

They all struggled violently, but the golden-haired men were too strong, holding them still as the dogs nipped at the captives' heels. Two more men suddenly came out of the forest on either side of Lahara, attaching themselves to Inuyasha's arms as the female inu released him.

"That really _was_ too easy, Inuyasha. I expected much more of a challenge in killing you." She bit the tip of her claw casually, smirking at all of her brothers and dogs. "I half feel like letting you go so you can rally that elder brother of yours so you can put up more of a fight."

"I'll be damned if I ever go to Sesshomaru for help!" the hanyou shouted, trying to yank his arms free of the two golden-hairs holding him, one with a long, thick braid and single black marks on his cheeks and the other looking almost eerily like Sesshomaru.

"Calm down, little man. I'm not going to let you go." Her voice had returned to its teasing manner, her face never showing the slightest hint of amusement as she raised her claws. "Don't worry. I'll make it quick."

"No! Inuyasha!" Kagome struggled to get free of the rather tall man holding her, desperate to aid him against this foe. Just as the woman began to bring down her claws, she managed to get loose, running in front of Inuyasha and closing her eyes, waiting for the slicing pain that would be her end.

But it never came.

Kagome dared to open one eye, looking at the sparkling claws an inch in front of her face. 'Huh?' She opened both, lowering her outstretched arms as she stared right into Lahara's eyes.

But they didn't contain the pure hate she had expected to see . . .

They didn't even hold the slightest bit of anger in their depths . . .

They were sad . . . eyes that had lost their warmth many years ago and had nothing but the frost of a lost hope and the dying fire of happiness . . .

But why?

Before she could contimplate this anymore, the same man that had held her back before came forward and grabbed her again, lifting her up in the air and pulling her away from Lahara.

The youkai watched all this with the same expression in her eyes, understanding suddenly. 'That woman . . . she must love this silver-hair . . .' Her eyes flicked back to Inuyasha, struggling now to go to Kagome's aid.

She sighed suddenly, closing her eyes. "Hurry up and strip all of them of their weapons, brothers. We'll kill them when we get back to the cave."

"WHAT!"

All eyes turned to the man with the braid, his face livid.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST KILL THEM NOW AND SAVE US THE TROUBLE!"

Lahara growled, sending chills down almost everyone's spine as she opened her eyes to glare at him. "When I tell you to do something, you do it, Shikaki."

Shikaki almost took a step back, but held his ground, scoffing slightly as he supervised his brothers.

'Damn . . .' Lahara leaned back on a nearby tree. 'Of all the times to show weakness . . .'

She was suddenly distracted, however, by a cry of pain by the Sesshomaru look-alike.

"What is it, Grumiti?" Shikaki looked over at him, still clutching onto Inuyasha's sleeve.

The demon let out a hiss of pain, glaring down at his scorched hand. "That damn . . . sword . . ."

"What?" The elder youkai looked at Inuyasha's smug face, then down at the Tetsusaiga, which was smoking slightly. He growled, turning a glare on the hanyou. "What the hell did you do?"

"I didn't do anything." Inuyasha sneered at him, feeling mighty superior at that point, despite the fact that he was being held in place. "My sword just happens to not like trash touching it."

"Shut up!" Shikaki quickly punched Inuyasha's face, claws dug into his skin, before going for the sword himself, but only coming up with the same result.

Lahara blinked over at her brothers, finding this embarrassing and amusing at the same time.

"Damn this stupid thing to hell!" Shikaki roared, trying to grip it yet again, but only burning his hand even more. "What the hell kind of enchantment did you put on it!"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Inuyasha smirked, ignoring the blood oozing from his nose and the bruise forming on his cheek as he felt the grip on his arm loosen severely on both sides. "But you'll never have that satisfaction!"

The hanyou quickly tore away from the two golden-hairs, slashing at them both.

Lahara slapped a hand to her forehead, not being able to believe anymore that she was actually related to these two. She stood, casually walked over to the distracted hanyou, and punched him in the back of the head, sending him down to the ground where he quickly had several feet kicking at him and holding him down.

"Damnit . . ." he hissed, one eye closed as the other's vision swirled.

"No! Inuyasha!" Kagome again tried to desperately get free, being held back by the tall golden-hair still. Even the disarmed Sango and Miroku were putting up a good fight, trying to get free to aid their friends. The now sealed Kirara also tried desperately to transform, hoping to be able to get rid of all the dogs.

'Shikaki's right. I should've killed them.' Lahara gave everyone a rather annoyed look before suddenly raising her voice to an incredibly authoritative pitch that rose above everyone else's. "Stop this nonsense now, all of you."

Everything froze at her words, the entire group looking at her now.

"That's better." She smirked, walking swiftly over to the tall golden-hair that held Kagome. "Now Vato . . . I want you to release the girl . . ."

His eyes widened. "B-But Sis . . ."

Lahara growled at her brother's gruff voice, sending a glare up at him. "Do as I say."

Vato silently refused for a few moments, but the glare soon wore through his resolve. Grumbling out something, he released Kagome roughly, letting her stumble into Lahara.

Realizing just how much more danger she was in when she was with this golden-hair than the other, she slowly let her eyes run up into the silver ones of this youkai, still holding the same sadness, but now twisted horribly into pleasure. 'Wh-What's she going to do to me?'

Quickly and harshly, the female inu grabbed hold of Kagome's upper arm, dragging her over to the hanyou under Shikaki's heel. In a split second, she had her claws to the miko's throat, making her let out a startled gasp.

"Listen to me, Inuyasha . . ." The woman's cocky and coaxing tone was back, her face reflecting none of it.

The hanyou remained silent, apparently now unconscious.

Lahara applied a small bit of pressure with her claws, a single drop of blood making its way down Kagome's neck. "Inuyasha . . . now you wouldn't want something bad to happen to this lovely female companion of yours, now would you?"

* * *

**Shout outs:**

**dogdemoninuyashaandkagome: Yay for first reviewer! And thanks too.**

**waterspirit39: Well, this is honestly my favorite story to write. ...sweatdrops... I just need to keep up with the others to make reviewers happy.**

**unheard screams: Oh yes. That includes the Fluffster. ...pokes him... But he'll take his dear sweet time in coming into this story. ...thinks... In the original version, he hadn't even appeared after 25 chapters, though I did give Jaken a wonderful appearance,but random if I do say so myself.**

**luvinukagome: Don't worry. We all love fruits. ...grins...**


End file.
